Forum upgrade is complete...

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Comments

  • Aguarancher
    Aguarancher Solar Expert Posts: 315 ✭✭✭
    I use my bookmark: http://forum.solar-electric.com/forum?s=4d79a09c5bb68f9612b619e644d3f9dd
    thanks for all your help..it's really no big deal, just different and you know how much we all like change..lol
  • vBulletin Support
    vBulletin Support Administrators, Solar Expert Posts: 112 ✭✭✭✭
    I use my bookmark: http://forum.solar-electric.com/forum?s=4d79a09c5bb68f9612b619e644d3f9dd
    thanks for all your help..it's really no big deal, just different and you know how much we all like change..lol
    Similarly then, change your bookmark to this: http://www.solar-electric.com/
    Your bookmark is currently doing the same thing, taking you to the forum "channel" rather than the forum homepage.
  • Aguarancher
    Aguarancher Solar Expert Posts: 315 ✭✭✭
    your link takes me to the shopping page, i want the forum so i changed my bookmark to this: http://forum.solar-electric.com/forum .. same result. enjoy your day, i need to go till my garden, almost time to plant..
  • vBulletin Support
    vBulletin Support Administrators, Solar Expert Posts: 112 ✭✭✭✭
    your link takes me to the shopping page, i want the forum so i changed my bookmark to this: http://forum.solar-electric.com/forum .. same result. enjoy your day, i need to go till my garden, almost time to plant..
    Sorry I posted the wrong link.

    Set your bookmark to this: http://forum.solar-electric.com/
    That will fix it.

  • techntrek
    techntrek Solar Expert Posts: 1,372 ✭✭✭
    techntrek wrote: »
    ...and now I just noticed that under the user's name on the left side the "posts" count isn't the user's total posts to date, it is actually the post count for that specific post. My prior post says 1278 and this one says 1279. This item is useful to help figure out how long someone has been on the forum and how active (along with the join date). Now if someone reads an old post from someone it will look like they haven't been around much.

    I didn't see this covered yet. Thanks for working through these issues.
    4.5 kw APC UPS powered by a Prius, 12 kw Generac, Honda EU3000is
  • vBulletin Support
    vBulletin Support Administrators, Solar Expert Posts: 112 ✭✭✭✭
    techntrek wrote: »
    and now I just noticed that under the user's name on the left side the "posts" count isn't the user's total posts to date, it is actually the post count for that specific post. My prior post says 1278 and this one says 1279. This item is useful to help figure out how long someone has been on the forum and how active (along with the join date). Now if someone reads an old post from someone it will look like they haven't been around much.

    The postcount in the avatar panel is the users total number of posts across the entire forum.
    When you make a new post, you will see the count has updated by one.

    The total is the same figure that used to be shown on the previous version of the software, there's been no change there.
  • techntrek
    techntrek Solar Expert Posts: 1,372 ✭✭✭
    It appears to be ok now. I think I know what I was seeing and I'm about to test it.
    4.5 kw APC UPS powered by a Prius, 12 kw Generac, Honda EU3000is
  • techntrek
    techntrek Solar Expert Posts: 1,372 ✭✭✭
    A test post............................

    Edit: ok, my test proved my theory. If you post more than one reply on a page each post shows the next post count, so in this case I saw 1281 on my last post then 1282 on this post. Then I refreshed the page and both showed 1282. It is a minor bug in the ajax routine that sends a post to the server.
    4.5 kw APC UPS powered by a Prius, 12 kw Generac, Honda EU3000is
  • BB.
    BB. Super Moderators, Administrators Posts: 33,431 admin
    From; what I have seen, only the post you make is "updated" on the page. The rest of the page is static (not refreshed) when you make simple post. Therefore, the older information/posts/etc. remains.

    -Bill
    Near San Francisco California: 3.5kWatt Grid Tied Solar power system+small backup genset
  • vBulletin Support
    vBulletin Support Administrators, Solar Expert Posts: 112 ✭✭✭✭
    BB is correct. When you make a new post, the AJAX script only produces the new post, it doesn't touch the rest of the page. It isn't a bug, it's how it's designed. If you refresh the page, all posts will have the updated total.

    It's worth noting that this behaviour was exactly the same in the previous version of the software - only the "new" post carried the updated total.
  • Vic
    Vic Solar Expert Posts: 3,208 ✭✭✭✭
    First, this has been a great, informative and useful site for a number of years. Previously, this Forum software has been the best of any of the seven-or-so Forum sites that I daily visit.

    But am disappointed with this recent "Upgrade". It seems to have taken a number of steps backward;

    1. Unable to SEE Threads that have posted in previously. This is an essential piece of information, especially on a busy Forum like this, with frequent Subject Drift. That this essential information has been deemed UNIMPORTANT by the authors of the software is astonishing to me.

    2. It IS inconvenient to have to begin at the first page (use oldest first style), in order to find how many pages that exist, and select the last page, for the most recent posts.

    3. There have been a number of situations where Threads read are not shown as having been read ... this may have been fixed by now.

    Not to nit-pick, but in the past, Forum software Upgrades were just that -- UPGRADES. This one is a RETROGRADE, IMO. FWIW. But thanks for this former-great site, Vic
    Off Grid - Two systems -- 4 SW+ 5548 Inverters, Surrette 4KS25 1280 AH X2@48V, 11.1 KW STC PV, 4X MidNite Classic 150 w/ WBjrs, Beta KID on S-530s, MX-60s, MN Bkrs/Boxes.  25 KVA Polyphase Kubota diesel,  Honda Eu6500isa,  Eu3000is-es, Eu2000,  Eu1000 gensets.  Thanks Wind-Sun for this great Forum.
  • BB.
    BB. Super Moderators, Administrators Posts: 33,431 admin
    Vic wrote: »
    1. Unable to SEE Threads that have posted in previously. This is an essential piece of information, especially on a busy Forum like this, with frequent Subject Drift. That this essential information has been deemed UNIMPORTANT by the authors of the software is astonishing to me.

    Mark said they have many requests for this feature... Hopefully, we will see this return.
    2. It IS inconvenient to have to begin at the first page (use oldest first style), in order to find how many pages that exist, and select the last page, for the most recent posts.

    I am not sure what you mean... With the Today/New Post buttons, you can go to first new post (blue down arrow to left of thread title). Or go to the last post with the blue double right arrow way to the right of the page after last Poster Name and date/time.

    If you are in a thread and want to go to the beginning or end, you can enter the "page number". I enter a big page number (like 9 or 99) to go to the last page of the thread).
    3. There have been a number of situations where Threads read are not shown as having been read ... this may have been fixed by now.

    With the upgrade--I am guessing--But we lost the last read posts indexes (or cookies?) on the forum upgrade. You can reset all threads as read by going the the "FORUMS" tab, and down near the bottom middle is a "Mark Forums Read" hot link. Not the most convenient place--Just need to remember where is it is--When needed. Cannot be added to other pages because the Ajax (Java Script?) software (Not a software guy) only loads on the FORUMS page.
    Not to nit-pick, but in the past, Forum software Upgrades were just that -- UPGRADES. This one is a RETROGRADE, IMO. FWIW. But thanks for this former-great site, Vic

    Vic, I hope we do not lose you, or others. Many software "upgrades" are less than ideal--But I hope we can get some of these issues fixed soon. Mark has been working hard to make fix many of the problems/questions to date.

    -Bill
    Near San Francisco California: 3.5kWatt Grid Tied Solar power system+small backup genset
  • icarus
    icarus Solar Expert Posts: 5,436 ✭✭✭✭
    And here is as just getting used to the new (old) format! Serieously nice work guys. I am working around using the IPad, I may have to break out the lap top after many months to see how it is different. I too am having it display new posts first, instead of oldest first. Keep the good work,

    Tony
  • BB.
    BB. Super Moderators, Administrators Posts: 33,431 admin
    Tony, I changed your reading to oldest first... (I think) using the ADMIN screen. Let me know if this works.

    -Bill
    Near San Francisco California: 3.5kWatt Grid Tied Solar power system+small backup genset
  • vtmaps
    vtmaps Solar Expert Posts: 3,741 ✭✭✭✭
    Vic wrote: »
    1. Unable to SEE Threads that have posted in previously. This is an essential piece of information, especially on a busy Forum like this, with frequent Subject Drift. That this essential information has been deemed UNIMPORTANT by the authors of the software is astonishing to me.

    Me too. This needs to be fixed, it is an essential feature. Especially since the email notification system has gone berserk: I am now getting email notifications for every reply to a subscribed thread. I used to get only a notification to the FIRST reply to a subscribed thread. Am I missing a setting somewhere?

    So this forum is unnecessarily cluttering up my mailbox.... I will turn off email notification. Then when I go to "Today's Posts" I can't see the new posts that I have subscribed to.

    Makes me wonder... do the people who write this software actually use the software?

    --vtMaps
    4 X 235watt Samsung, Midnite ePanel, Outback VFX3524 FM60 & mate, 4 Interstate L16, trimetric, Honda eu2000i
  • vBulletin Support
    vBulletin Support Administrators, Solar Expert Posts: 112 ✭✭✭✭
    Those wanting to see threads they have posted in - this feature isn't in the current version, but within a few months it will be. Develoeprs are working on it right now, we want to get it right though which is why it's taking a bit longer than we hoped. I will come back and deploy that version at no cost when it is available.

    In the meantime - a workaround. Go to your username at the top of the page, click it, and from the dropdown select "My Recent Posts".
    This will give you a viewe of all recently updated threads that you have posted in, in the same view that is used for Today's Posts / New Posts.
    It's not a perfect alternative, but it's a workaround until the full feature is added back in.

    Notifications - they probably want clearing out from each user and starting again. Those who are having problems with excessive email notifications please post in this thread and I'll clear yours for you.
    [USER="9738"]vtmaps[/USER] I have done yours.
  • Mountain Don
    Mountain Don Solar Expert Posts: 494 ✭✭✭
    this feature isn't in the current version, but within a few months it will be.

    I have to say that I am getting used to the new software, BUT that statement I quoted is ludicrous. Stop and think about it... The old version had a simple easy to use feature. The new version has a lame work around with a promise to do better at some future time. Therefore IMO this new version is not ready for prime time; should never have been released for public use. I'd call this a beta version at best.

    This is especially sad as this is not free software, NAWS has to pay for this.
    Northern NM, 624 watts PV, The Kid CC, GC-2 batteries @ 24 VDC, Outback VFX3524M
  • BB.
    BB. Super Moderators, Administrators Posts: 33,431 admin
    Regarding Email Notifications... The old notification of when you receive a PM is missing. Mark has said they are working on adding it to the next (I think) release.

    For other notifications, you can go to your User Settings, Notifications and change them to what you need:

    http://forum.solar-electric.com/settings/notifications
    Automatic Subscriptions
    Subscribe when posting When you create or participate in a topic, you will automatically be subscribed to it.

    Email Notifications
    • Off, through my Message Center only
    • On
    • On, daily
    • On, weekly
    When you post a new conversation, reply to a topic or someone likes your post, you can choose to automatically receive email notification or select the frequency of email notification.
    • General
    • Subscribes to you
    • Confirms a subscribe request
    • Posts on your visitor message board
    • Votes on your polls
    • Likes your post
    • Mentions you (@BB.) in a post
    Discussions
    • Replies to your discussion (this also includes comments in your topics)
    • Comments on your discussion

    Personally, I only have:
    • Posts on your visitor message board
    • Mentions you (@BB.) in a post
    And the MENTIONS is only turned on to see what it does.

    -Bill
    Near San Francisco California: 3.5kWatt Grid Tied Solar power system+small backup genset
  • vBulletin Support
    vBulletin Support Administrators, Solar Expert Posts: 112 ✭✭✭✭
    have to say that I am getting used to the new software, BUT that statement I quoted is ludicrous. Stop and think about it... The old version had a simple easy to use feature. The new version has a lame work around with a promise to do better at some future time. Therefore IMO this new version is not ready for prime time; should never have been released for public use. I'd call this a beta version at best.
    Hello

    As I mentioned in my original post, I'm a support agent, I wasn't involved in any of the decisions regarding features, nor did I code any of the software - I'm certainly not a php programmer.

    I'm just here to provide support with what the product and help people get the most out of it.
  • Mountain Don
    Mountain Don Solar Expert Posts: 494 ✭✭✭
    Mark, without you we would be up the creek w/o a paddle. I do appreciate everything you do. I am actually impressed that they have a support person who is live here on the forum. I just find it ridiculous that the powers that be at vbulletin actually released this version of software with the absence of features that were in previous versions.



    I just tried to do a right-click cut while composing this reply. The system informed me I could not; something to do with security. I have never run into that on any other forum software. The popup note indicated I should use keyboard commands. ??? That worked. Using the touch screen I could do a cut 'n' paste onscreen. I wonder what the purpose of that is here? Where's the risk?
    Northern NM, 624 watts PV, The Kid CC, GC-2 batteries @ 24 VDC, Outback VFX3524M
  • Vic
    Vic Solar Expert Posts: 3,208 ✭✭✭✭
    BB Bill, thanks for mentioning the micro arrows that allow navigation to the last post in a Thread ... had not even noticed them.


    And, Thanks vBulletin Mark for the Support. Thanks, too to wind-sun for hosting this great Forum for all these years.
    Am certain that this Forum software is very expensive!

    Sorry that am still a bit critical of the changes to the user interface and function of this new software.

    In general, like many, hop around to five or six Forums in a short time period -- just doing quick surveys of what is happening. Have fairly narrow interests on most of these Forums. That each of these differing implementations of the user interface, and differing ways that the user must use the Forum is NOT beneficial. I NEVER look at Recent or New posts -- my focus is fairly narrow, and do not try to sift through all of the new posts in areas that are of little interest, or areas where I feel that I have little or nothing to 'contribute'. So always go to the few Topics that are of interest, and then look first, at the Threads what have replied to in the past ... expect that on a site such as this, many users have this mode of operation. So an indicator of those Threads one has posted into, in the past is an essential function. Almost ALL other Forums that I use daily have this function, as well as the ability to navigate to a specific page for multi-page Threads.

    Also, kind of miss the summary of those who have been on-line in recent past -- this might be configurable as a user setting (?). Have not noticed the AutoSave indication during a Post composition - hope that this important function is still present.

    Will try to play around here a bit more, to become ,more familiar with what IS here and is not ...

    So sorry to carp about the missing things, but, in the past, the Forum software Upgrades always seemed to be just that -- UPGRADES. This one, not so much. FWIW, Vic

    Lack of consistency of operation of Forums forces the user to need to develop significantly different work-arounds to actually get something accomplished is a negative.

    In the past, this Forum used obviously superior Forum software, and many/most of the superior functions were transparent to the user (like AutoSave while one was composing a Post), and did not require any accommodation by the user.
    Off Grid - Two systems -- 4 SW+ 5548 Inverters, Surrette 4KS25 1280 AH X2@48V, 11.1 KW STC PV, 4X MidNite Classic 150 w/ WBjrs, Beta KID on S-530s, MX-60s, MN Bkrs/Boxes.  25 KVA Polyphase Kubota diesel,  Honda Eu6500isa,  Eu3000is-es, Eu2000,  Eu1000 gensets.  Thanks Wind-Sun for this great Forum.
  • vBulletin Support
    vBulletin Support Administrators, Solar Expert Posts: 112 ✭✭✭✭
    Auto save is still here. It should kick in after about 20 seconds.
  • vBulletin Support
    vBulletin Support Administrators, Solar Expert Posts: 112 ✭✭✭✭
    Vic wrote: »
    So an indicator of those Threads one has posted into, in the past is an essential function
    For now, go to your username at the top of the page, click it, and from the dropdown menu select "My Recent Posts". This gives you a list of recently updated threads that you have posted in.
  • techntrek
    techntrek Solar Expert Posts: 1,372 ✭✭✭
    vic - note there is a difference in the "little arrows" on the left side vs. the right side. With the lack of the page links on the thread list, the little arrows on the left side seem to be the most useful because they take you to the first post since you last visited. The arrows on the right side just go to the very last post.
    4.5 kw APC UPS powered by a Prius, 12 kw Generac, Honda EU3000is
  • techntrek
    techntrek Solar Expert Posts: 1,372 ✭✭✭
    As a programmer I can offer one possibility as to why this "upgrade" has been more of a "downgrade". The development team may have decided to start over with a fresh code base and not all of the features were added back in before the version release. There are many reasons for starting over - getting rid of older bloated/buggy code, moving to a new development language (asp to php for example), moving to a more robust/scalable architecture, etc.

    That said, existing - and obvious - features should have all been developed before the new version was released.
    4.5 kw APC UPS powered by a Prius, 12 kw Generac, Honda EU3000is
  • BB.
    BB. Super Moderators, Administrators Posts: 33,431 admin
    Auto post save is actually working better for me with this release.

    Using Firefox on windows 7.

    -Bill
    Near San Francisco California: 3.5kWatt Grid Tied Solar power system+small backup genset
  • techntrek
    techntrek Solar Expert Posts: 1,372 ✭✭✭
    Suggestion to the forum software team - load the thread title mouse-hover text (when you hover over a thread title to see the first post) when the page is loaded and not via ajax after hovering. Before you could instantly see that text, now you see "loading" for a half-second before the text loads. For. Each. Thread. Title.
    4.5 kw APC UPS powered by a Prius, 12 kw Generac, Honda EU3000is
  • vBulletin Support
    vBulletin Support Administrators, Solar Expert Posts: 112 ✭✭✭✭
    techntrek wrote: »
    Suggestion to the forum software team - load the thread title mouse-hover text (when you hover over a thread title to see the first post) when the page is loaded and not via ajax after hovering. Before you could instantly see that text, now you see "loading" for a half-second before the text loads. For. Each. Thread. Title.

    I do agree with that but I think it's probably going to stay as it is now.
  • Vic
    Vic Solar Expert Posts: 3,208 ✭✭✭✭
    Auto save is still here. It should kick in after about 20 seconds.

    Hi Mark, OK Thanks, good news -- no other Forum that I use has this very important function, and has saved a number of my "War and Peace" Posts. Thanks, Vic
    Off Grid - Two systems -- 4 SW+ 5548 Inverters, Surrette 4KS25 1280 AH X2@48V, 11.1 KW STC PV, 4X MidNite Classic 150 w/ WBjrs, Beta KID on S-530s, MX-60s, MN Bkrs/Boxes.  25 KVA Polyphase Kubota diesel,  Honda Eu6500isa,  Eu3000is-es, Eu2000,  Eu1000 gensets.  Thanks Wind-Sun for this great Forum.
  • Vic
    Vic Solar Expert Posts: 3,208 ✭✭✭✭
    For now, go to your username at the top of the page, click it, and from the dropdown menu select "My Recent Posts". This gives you a list of recently updated threads that you have posted in.

    Mark, yes, did see you mention this previously, and did try it, and is seems to be OK, just different approach than in the past here, and it works somewhat differently here, than on some of the other Forums that I frequent.

    Am reasonably old, and do like a reasonable level consistency in user interface and method of using the software tools.

    And techntrek, Thanks for the added definition of the very little arrows. Had seen them mentioned in previous Posts, but those MicroDots did not attract my attention ... did not look like arrows. Customarily use a fairly inexpensive Laptop with a farily small screen. Really expect that most of the Programmers of this software are youngish, have good vision, and use 50-inch monitors and a Terabyte of RAM, so things like those arrows look large to them, and this software is probably lightning fast on their development machines.

    If those micro arrows could be even larger, such they look like arrows that might do some useful function, this probably might benefit the aged, like myself, if that is on any importance. Cannot imagine how those might appear on BB Bill's (and others') phone!

    All FWIW, Thanks again, Cranky Vic
    Off Grid - Two systems -- 4 SW+ 5548 Inverters, Surrette 4KS25 1280 AH X2@48V, 11.1 KW STC PV, 4X MidNite Classic 150 w/ WBjrs, Beta KID on S-530s, MX-60s, MN Bkrs/Boxes.  25 KVA Polyphase Kubota diesel,  Honda Eu6500isa,  Eu3000is-es, Eu2000,  Eu1000 gensets.  Thanks Wind-Sun for this great Forum.
This discussion has been closed.